


Badly Kept Secrets Always Come Out (and this one does too)

by BookGirlFan



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, I always torture my favourites, Male-Female Friendship, Sexism, Sickfic, also there is, always-a-girl!Kyoya, because I haven't seen it in this fandom, but it should be there somewhere, even if that means I have to post my terrible old story stuff, girl!Kyoya, possibly OOC Kyoya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6588682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookGirlFan/pseuds/BookGirlFan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>She rolled her eyes, and said fondly, "Idiot." Picking up her laptop from the table, she turned to go. At the door, his voice halted her with its uncharacteristic seriousness. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>"Kyoya? I'll keep your secret, but they will have to know eventually."</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Because this fandom needed more girl!Kyoya.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe you did that, Tamaki!" she hissed, voice echoing around the deserted music room. The Host Club was closed, and the other Hosts had gone home for the day, leaving just her and Tamaki alone in the music room. 

"What did I do?" he asked in bewilderment. It wasn't exactly uncommon for her to be angry at him, though this level of anger was unexpected. Usually, for her to be this angry, he at least knew what he had done to offend her. 

"Calling me mother? In front of the whole Club? Is this ringing a bell?" she asked, still furious, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"Oh." Tamaki had the grave to look abashed. "I couldn't help myself, I just got carried away! What could be more perfect, _mon ami_? Our own little family, with mother, father, and our children!" Just thinking about it made him start smiling again, eyes glazing over as he disappeared into his fantasy dreamworld. 

A sharp slap to the back of the head brought him back. "Tamaki, you're being ridiculous. I suppose I should be grateful it was just in front of the club, and none of the customers were present. Still, do try and keep your outbursts more discreet in future?"

Her quick smile let him know he was forgiven, and he glomped her, rubbing his face against hers. "Of course, whatever mother wants!"

She rolled her eyes, and said fondly, "Idiot." Picking up her laptop from the table, she turned to go. At the door, his voice halted her with its uncharacteristic seriousness. 

"Kyoya? I'll keep your secret, but they will have to know eventually."

She paused for a moment in consideration, then continued out the door. 

***

Hikaru and Kaoru saw the door handle turn, and hid, knowing that they would be in big trouble if they were found. Seeing Kyoya walk through the door and down the hall, they waited for him to turn the corner, before coming out of their hiding place. 

"Kyoya sempai-" Hikaru started. 

"-has a secret!" Kaoru finished. They looked at each other with identical mischievous grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my rather terrible, couple of years old, Kyoya-is-secretly-a-girl fanfic. Forgive me for the OOC, and for how it is likely to remain perpetually unfinished. I was less practiced then.


	2. Chapter 2

_The next day_

"Hika-chan, Kao-chan, why do you keep staring at Tama-chan?"Honey asked, looking at the twins with cute curiosity. 

"He's keeping a secret, and we want to know what it is!" the twins chorused. 

Honey transferred his look to Tamaki. "Are you really keeping a secret, Tama-chan?"

Tamaki turned away, laughing nervously, valiantly avoiding Honey's big eyes and innocent expression. "Of course not! What secret could I possibly have to keep?"

Honey's eyes got impossibly bigger. "You wouldn't keep a secret from us, would you, Tama-chan? We're your friends!"

Tamaki gulped, sneaking a quick look at Kyoya, still typing away at his laptop. "O-of course I wouldn't!"

"Then why won't you tell us?"Honey asked, looking at him imploringly. 

"Mitsukuni." Mori's voice caught Honey's attention, saving Tamaki from answering. Honey happily bounded to his cousin's side, chattering away about Usa-chan and new cakes. 

"So," Kaoru said, sidling up to stand on one side of Tamaki. "What is the secret?"

"We know you've got one." Hikaru slid up on the other side of him. "There's no point denying it."

Tamaki opened his mouth to reply, when he was interrupted by Haruhi opening the door to the music room. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I -"

"Haruhi!" Tamaki sailed over to her, engulfing her in a hug. "Daddy was so worried about you!"

"Cut it out, sempai!" Haruhi exclaimed as she struggled to escape. "I was only late by a couple of minutes!"

Haruhi struggled out of his grasp and took a seat at the table, across from a still busily typing Kyoya, leaving Tamaki huddled in a corner. "Fortunately for you, the meeting hasn't started yet," Kyoya said, still not looking up from his laptop. "Do try not to be late again." He looked up and smiled at Haruhi, the light reflecting off his glasses and hiding his eyes. She gulped. 

"Hey, Haruhi," Hikaru called to her from where he and Kaoru were watching Tamaki sulk. "Milord's hiding something from us."

"Don't you want to know what it is?" Kaoru continued. 

"No," she said bluntly. "It's his secret, I don't care if he shares it."

"But you're wrong," the twins said in unison, smirking at her. "It's Kyoya-sempai's secret too."

This made Haruhi look up, and Mori and Honey look around from their table by the window. Their antics boldened by the unexpected attention, the twins proceeded to dance around Tamaki, now out of his corner but still huddled on the ground, singing, "Tell us! Tell us!"

Tamaki looked around, searching for assistance, but Honey had turned back to his cake, Mori's attention was once again on Honey, and Haruhi was too curious to interfere. Anxiously, Tamaki's eyes turned to his last resort. "Mommy! Save me from our evil sons!"

Kyoya watched the scene for a moment, the light from his glasses hiding his expression, then turned back to his computer, offhandedly saying, "It's not really his secret, you know."

The twins stopped their dancing and smirked at the Shadow King, leaning in each other's shoulders. "We know."

"But you'll never tell us-" Hikaru said. 

Kaoru finished, "so Milord will!"

Kyoya's gaze turned away from his computer screen for a moment and towards Tamaki, before quickly returning. "No, he won't," he said fondly, before an ominous tone crept into his voice. "He knows better." He paused for a second, capturing the attention of the rest of the club. "This once, though, Tamaki might be right. It's time you knew." He looked the twins in the eyes and told them, "I'm a girl."

The twins eyes widened. This was one result they were not expecting. Quickly, though, they recovered, and began to laugh, leaning against each other for support. "I didn't know you were such a joker, Kyoya-sempai!" Kaoru managed through his giggles. 

"Yeah, that was a great one!" Hikaru added, tears of laughter still springing from his eyes. 

Tamaki sprang up for the floor. "That was no joke, evil twins! How could you insult mother like that? My-" He was interrupted by a cool voice. 

"Leave it, Tamaki," Kyoya said sharply. "That's enough."

"Kyo-chan, is it true?"Honey asked, accosting Kyoya before she could return to her work. "Are you really a girl?"

Kyoya looked at him resignedly. "Yes, it's true, Honey-sempai." She reopened her laptop and resumed her work, ignoring the rest of the group.

The twins looked at each other, then the rest of the group. "Wait, it wasn't a joke? Kyoya's really...a girl?" Their hands slid into each others automatically. 

Gradually, the hosts gathered at the table, trying to reconcile this new information with the Shadow King they had known. Noticing their stares, Kyoya sighed and closed her laptop. "If you're just going to stare at me, you might as well ask your questions."

The twins' mouths opened and closed, but no sound came out. 

Seeing their problem, Haruhi asked, "If you really are a girl, why would you hide it, Kyoya-sempai?"

"It's quite simple, Haruhi," Kyoya said, looking at her. "No one trusts a woman to run a business." She paused for a moment to let that sink in, then continued. "I have no intentions of giving up my ambitions and getting married simply because I am a girl. So instead, I have been presenting myself as a boy."

"Does anyone else know?"Honey asked. 

"Only my family and Tamaki knew until now." She moved her head until the light reflected off her glasses. "I'm sure I don't have to explain what the consequences will be if my secret leaves this room?"

The group collectively shivered. Boy or girl, Kyoya was as terrifying as ever. 

The twins smirked as something occurred to them. "Does that mean we should call you Shadow Queen now?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Beautiful!" Tamaki exclaimed, admiring the figure in front of him. 

The figure in front of him pushed her glasses up. "I'm not one of your princesses, Tamaki. Don't treat me like one."

"What do you mean? Can't I admire the beauty of my dearest friend without her interruptions?" Tamaki looked pleadingly at Kyoya. 

"Just because the club knows, does not mean you may treat me any differently, Tamaki," Kyoya told him sternly. "We do not need this getting out." She looked around at the rest of the group. "That goes for all of you."

"I still don't see why it's so important," Haruhi grumbled. "A girl can run a company just as well as a boy can. Why does it matter?"

"I can't expect a commoner like you to understand, but our world is based upon tradition," Kyoya said, ignoring Haruhi's disgruntled expression upon being called a commoner again. "The oldest son inherits the company, the second son supports him, and the daughters marry to make connections. That's how the world works."

"Yeah," the Hitachiins agreed. "Our mother had heaps of trouble starting her business."

"But Tama-chan's right, Kyo-chan,"Honey said, smiling sweetly. "You do look pretty!"

Mori nodded his agreement. 

"Thank you, Honey-sempai, but please, not too loud. The doors are opening soon, and likely we have guests waiting outside."

Today's theme was the nativity, with Hikaru and Kaoru as shepherds, Honey and Mori as wise men, Tamaki as Joseph, Haruhi as Mary, and, for some reason, Kyoya as an angel, complete with halo and long white robe, the effect of which Tamaki had been admiring.

"Why is it that Kyoya-sempai is an angel?" Haruhi asked bluntly. 

"Yeah, shouldn't Mummy be Mary, if Daddy is Joseph?" the twins chorused, smirking. 

"Kyoya-sempai isn't exactly angelic," Haruhi continued, ignoring the twins. 

"How could you talk about your mother like that?" Tamaki exclaimed, arms flung out in an expression of indignance. "Granted, Kyoya is not exactly known for her good will, but still, under all that ice lies a warm and caring heart!"

"I am still here, you know," Kyoya commented, looking faintly amused. No one paid any attention. 

The twins laughed. "Kyoya? Warm and caring? More like cold and calculating."

"She manipulates all of us-" Kaoru began. 

"-just for the money!" Hikaru finished. "There's nothing warm or caring about that."

"Maybe they're right," Haruhi said, sounding thoughtful. "I mean, she never seems to care about any of us. Maybe she is just using us."

"The club is about to open!" Kyoya called, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Everyone, to their places."

Honey turned to go to Mori, but looked back. "Are you okay, Kyo-chan?"

Kyoya gave him a closed eyes smile, filled with sweetness. "Of course I'm alright, Honey-sempai. There's nothing to worry about."

Honey smiled happily at her, reassured, and went to stand by Mori. Kyoya lingered another moment, her mask slipping for just a moment as her smile turned bittersweet, before pulling herself together, and going to join the others in welcoming the customers, her mask firmly in place once again.

***

After the girls had left, Tamaki and Kyoya were the only two left in the music room. Kyoya was working away on her laptop, typing up the day's profits, while Tamaki was sitting at the table, working on assignments while watching Kyoya work. 

"You know they didn't mean it, don't you?" Tamaki said, breaking the silence. 

Kyoya didn't stop typing. "And what would you be talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Before opening, with the twins and Haruhi." Her name brought an involuntary smile to his face, before the seriousness of the discussion took over again. "They didn't mean what they said."

Kyoya stopped typing and looked at him, hiding her expression behind her glasses. "Of course they meant it, Tamaki. That's what they are supposed to think."

"Kyoya, you know I know you better than that." Kyoya looked back at her laptop. "You care about them. You care about all of us."

Kyoya stood abruptly. "There is no merit in caring." She picked up her laptop and bag and left the room. 

Tamaki watched her go. " _Mon ami_ , one day you will admit that not all merit is material."


	4. Chapter 4

"Kyoya-sempai, are you alright?"

Haruhi's question made them all look around at their vice-president, who was sitting in her chair, holding her glasses in one hand while pinching the bridge of her nose with the other. At Haruhi's question, she looked up and saw the other hosts staring at her. Quickly replacing her glasses, she said bitingly, "I'm fine, Haruhi. You can get back to working on paying off your debt."

Haruhi frowned, doing as Kyoya said and returning to her task of cleaning the floor. Although not strictly necessary, as the staff could take care of it, she had spilt a tray there earlier that day, and this was put in charge of making sure it was cleaned. Kyoya's words had made it clear that her attention was unwanted, and she did not need her debt getting any bigger. 

Others, however, would not be so easily put off. "Haru-chan's right, Kyo-chan. You don't look okay."Honey looked at her with concern, the same concern mirrored in the eyes of Mori. 

"Yeah, Honey-sempai's right," Hikaru said. "You do look kind of tired."

"Haven't you devoured enough souls recently?" Kaoru added, smirking. He exchanged a glance with Hikaru, and their smirks grew brighter. 

"Hey Milord!" they called to Tamaki, on the other side of the room. 

Immediately, he came rushing over. "What are you two devilish twins doing disturbing your poor mother? Don't worry, Kyoya, I'll save you!"

"I don't need saving, Tamaki," Kyoya sighed, not even bothering to look up. "Get back to it, all of you. I don't appreciate you watching me."

None of the hosts paid any attention. Instead, Tamaki continued his rant. "Oh, Kyoya, my dearest friend! Come back from the light! Stay with me!"

"You're overreacting, Tamaki." She still resolutely refused to look up from her computer screen, though she did stop typing, instead just resting her hands on the keyboard. "There's nothing wrong with me, I'm perfectly fine."

Suddenly, Tamaki's whole demeanor changed, becoming a lot softer. "If you are truly alright, why won't you look at me?"

Kyoya stilled. Knowing he'd struck a point, Tamaki put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. When he saw her properly, he gasped. "Kyoya, why didn't you tell me you were this sick!"

Gathering closer, the others noticed her flushed cheeks and fever bright eyes. 

"Kyo-chan, you're really sick! You should go home and rest."Honey nodded authoritatively. Mori nodded in agreement. 

"I've got work to do." Kyoya turned her head sharply, out of Tamaki's grip, then clutched at the table and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Tamaki was right in front of her. 

"You're sick, Kyoya. You can't keep working like that," he said gently. "I saw you were dizzy just now. You need to go home and rest."

Kyoya gave in. "Very well, Tamaki. I'll go home." She stood up to take her books from the table, then suddenly paled, her eyes rolling back in her head as she fell to the floor. 

For a moment, they all just stood there, shocked at the new turn of events. Then Tamaki shouted, "Kyoya!"

His voice broke their stupor, and they all sprang into action. Mori lifted the bespectacled girl off the floor to a nearby lounge, while Haruhi went to get a glass of water, to hopefully wake her up with. Tamaki brought out his phone and punched in a number. "Tachibana, Kyoya's sick. Can you bring the car around? ... We'll bring her down. ... Of course!... Okay. Goodbye." He snapped shut the phone. "We need to get her downstairs. Tachibana will take her home."

Haruhi just stared, bemused by this serious side to Tamaki. Then she shook her head, snapping herself out of it. "Shouldn't we call her parents, or get her to the hospital or something?"

Hikaru answered her, "The Ohtori's work in medicine, they'll know what to do."

"They run all the hospitals anyway," Kaoru interjected. 

"What about her parents?" Haruhi asked again. "Shouldn't someone tell them?"

Tamaki shook his head. "Kyoya wouldn't want us to. We just need to make sure she gets home."

As the others went to help carry Kyoya downstairs, Haruhi slipped closer to Tamaki, caught by his downcast expression. "You sound like you've done this before, sempai."

Tamaki's eyes followed the group down the hall. "Kyoya has worked too hard for as long as I've known her. It's not the first time it's made her sick." In an instant, he changed from somber and serious to sparkling happiness. "That's why we have to visit her! We can visit her tomorrow morning, just after breakfast! Or even before breakfast!"

Tamaki went bouncing down the hall after the others, eager to share his idea. Haruhi went running after him, calling, "But Sempai! Waking Kyoya sempai up? Early?! There's no way that's a good idea!"


	5. Chapter 5

Haruhi's protests were useless against Tamaki's enthusiasm. The next morning, the whole gang were gathered outside the Ohtori mansion, with the exception of Tamaki. He was running late, and none of them wanted to face the wrath of Kyoya without him. Finally, a limo drew up to the curb, and Tamaki stepped out. Seeing them, he immediately rushed over, arms wide open, and gathered up Haruhi in a hug. "Daddy's little girl looks so pretty today!" he gushed. 

Haruhi glanced down at her simple yellow sundress. "Yeah, my dad insisted on me wearing this. I don't know why, shorts are much more convenient."

"But shorts aren't so pretty! Of course, my dear daughter, you could make anything look pretty," Tamaki hastily backtracked. 

"Close one, boss," the Hitachiins whispered in his ears. 

Deciding to ignore them, Tamaki led the way up to the front door of the Ohtori mansion. A maid answered just seconds after he knocked. "Good morning, Master Suoh. Are you here to see Mi-" she quickly glanced at the others, "-Master Kyoya?"

"Yes, is she in her room?"

"Yes, but-"

"Thanks, I know the way!" Tamaki called, racing past her and up the stairs, soon followed by the rest of the group, who were not eager to get lost inside the huge mansion. They all ignored the maid who was calling out after them, telling them to stop. 

Tamaki bust into Kyoya's room, the door flying open in the face of his enthusiasm. "Kyoya!"

The figure under the blankets was still. 

"Kyoya, wake up!" Tamaki went to pull the blankets down, before remembering previous experiences of waking a sleeping Kyoya. Some of the bruises had lasted for weeks. Instead, he called again, more loudly than before. "Kyoya, you have to wake up! We're all here to visit you, even Haruhi!"

Kyoya still didn't stir. 

Hikaru, impatient enough to risk the wrath of the Demon Lord, strode over to the bed and pulled the sheets off, to the horrified looks of the other five. Then, he looked down at the bed, and his face took on a horrified expression to match any of theirs. 

Kyoya was curled on her side under the blankets, so pale she was almost white, but for the flush of fever in her cheeks. She looked dangerously ill, enough so that Hikaru's hand crept closer, as if to check if she was even still breathing. Before it could reach, he remembered exactly who it was lying in the bed before him, and scurried back to safety beside his brother. 

They all peered at Kyoya for a long moment, uncertain what to do. Their Shadow King had never looked so disheveled, and, dare they say, vulnerable before. Now, ill and curled up on her bed, she simply looked like a very sick teenager. This impression was only reinforced when she started to toss and turn in her sleep, before her eyes fluttered open, bright and glazed with fever. "Tamaki," she slurred sleepily, her eyes not quite focusing on the group. "What're you doing here, in m' bedroom?"

"We just came to see if you were feeling better, Kyoya," Tamaki said hesitantly. Despite having known Kyoya for longer than any of the others, he had still never seen her like this before. 

"Oh," she said softly, eyelids slipping closed. "Okay. Jus' don't let Father know. Don't wanna be sick."

With that confusing remark, she slipped back to sleep. The others quietly left the room, disturbed by what they had just seen. Their unsettled feelings were not helped by meeting Kyoya's father just outside her door. "Young Suoh. What are you doing here so early?"

"We just came to see Kyoya! We knew she was ill, so we came to make her feel better!" Tamaki gave the man his brightest smile, but Mr Ohtori remained unmoved. 

"I see. I'm sure Kyoya appreciates your visit, Suoh. Would you like to stay for breakfast?" They all nodded, unable to think of an excuse.


	6. Chapter 6

"You told them."

After the Host Club had left, Yoshio Ohtori sat by his youngest child's bed. She slept restlessly, tossing and turning, with no idea her father was right beside her. He put a hand on her forehead. "Hush, Kyoya." She settled down, turning towards the touch. 

"My daughter, what have you gained by telling them your secret? Now they have leverage to use agains you, enough to bring down everything you have done, and bring shame on our family name. Why would you do this?"

He drew back slightly. "Not for love, I hope. You should know better than that. We have not kept up this deception so long, for you to give in like a fool, especially for something as common as love. You are better than that. If I did not believe so, I would never have let you stay hidden for so long."

Yoshio watched his daughter for a moment longer, before his phone beeped, and he took his hand off Kyoya's forehead, drawing the phone out of his pocket and flipped flipping it open, reading the screen. He stood up, his business persona falling into place, eradicating the fatherly concern that had been there only moments before. "I have to go. I'll inform the staff of your friends' new knowledge." He left the room, sparingly only a quick glance for his daughter as he left.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Kyoya was feeling marginally better, enough so that when the Host Club came to visit again, she was awake, though still too tired to leave her bed. Instead, the Hosts gathered around, dragging in chairs to sit on, or in Tamaki's case, simply sitting down beside her. After the encounter the day before they were all more subdued, having trouble meeting her eyes. 

Honey broke the awkward silence with one of his characteristically bright smiles. "Kyo-chan! You look better today."

She smiled politely. "Thank you, Honey-sempai. I feel better today as well. I may even be able to go to school tomorrow."

Tamaki frowned at her. "Kyoya, you don't have to go to school tomorrow. I can take notes and bring them to you. Please, don't-"

"I'm fine, Tamaki." Kyoya glared at him, sitting up straight in an effort to prove her good health. "I will be well enough to attend school. Don't fuss."

Tamaki reluctantly subsided. Her point made, Kyoya's head dropped, her energy spent. Sensing this, after just a few more minutes conversation the Host Club started to leave, until only Tamaki was left in the room with Kyoya. 

Kyoya collapsed backwards onto her bed, no longer caring about appearances now that only Tamaki was there. Tamaki watched with concern. "Please, Kyoya. Don't go to school tomorrow if you aren't really fine."

"I am fine," Kyoya murmured sleepily. "Don't worry about me, Tamaki." She curled up beside him like a lazy kitten. 

He ran his hand through her hair, playing with the dark strands. "I do worry about you, Kyoya. You're my best friend, I'll always worry about you." He looked down at her and saw her eyes closed, face relaxed in sleep. He smiled softly, and continued running his hand through her hair.


	8. Too Much, Not Enough

She doesn't have time to eat breakfast today, too much else to be done. Her History assignment is due and she still needs to edit it again, the Host Club figures for last month are in and need review, there are some delicate financial dealings going on with Australia that need her personal attention - breakfast is simply not a priority.

It's lunchtime now, but she's still busy. The History is submitted, sure to receive a perfect grade, and she's had a cursory look at the Host Club figures, but more analysis will be needed later. Tamaki just came up with a new costume idea, and between saying no to Tamaki and redesigning the budget for the next two months? Lunch can wait a little longer.

The Host Club has just shut its doors, after a very profitable afternoon. The other hosts are having a snack to celebrate, but she's still got work to do. All the practical parts of running a business, the small details, they pile up so quickly. It's best to get them done now. She'll eat at dinner, and all will be fine.

A hand comes down on her notebook. Purple eyes look into hers. "Share a cake with me?"

She reaches up and takes the hand that is offered. The work can wait.

"I can eat my own cake, moron."


End file.
